From Anne.Rogers at maine.gov Sun May 4 19:45:50 2008 From: Anne.Rogers at maine.gov (Rogers, Anne) Date: Sun, 4 May 2008 19:45:50 -0400 Subject: [Prevention] Strenghts in Focus training opp'y Message-ID: Posted for Chris Trout. Transforming Lives: a six-hour training designed to transform the way you see and work with challenged and challenging young people. Date: May 22nd Location: Abromson Center, USM, Portland Cost: 50% scholarships available to reduce cost to $44.50 Trainer: Chris Trout, president, Strengths in Focus (Second day of intensive training available for limited number of registrants.) This is part of a "Big Give" campaign I have launched to donate $10,000 in services during these tight budget times. Here are the links to more information. About the training: www.strengthsinfocus.com/learn/may_22_23. To apply for a scholarship: www.strengthsinfocus.com/scholarship_form. More about the Big Give campaign: www.strengthsinfocus.com/big_give. This is looking like a great day with interesting people attending. Hope to see you there! Chris Chris Trout Strengths in Focus www.strengthsinfocus.com 462 Preble St., S. Portland, ME 04106 ph: 207.767.2024 No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.5/1401 - Release Date: 4/28/2008 7:18 AM From Anne.Rogers at maine.gov Mon May 5 10:40:28 2008 From: Anne.Rogers at maine.gov (Rogers, Anne) Date: Mon, 5 May 2008 10:40:28 -0400 Subject: [Prevention] FW: CALL FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUG PROPOSALS Message-ID: May 1, 2008 Dear Colleagues, You are formally invited to be an integral part of the premiere national conference on prescription drug use, abuse, return, and disposal. We are announcing the Call for Proposals to present at the 2008 International Symposium on Pharmaceuticals in the Home and Environment: Catalysts for Change. This conference represents the official venue for the Sixth Annual Maine Benzodiazepine Study Group Conference and the Fifth Annual Unused Drug Return Conference, taking place on November 10 & 11, 2008 in South Portland, Maine. This conference is designed for health care professionals, policy makers, law enforcement personnel, environmentalists, substance abuse professionals, and others concerned with the human and environmental impact of prescription drugs on individuals, families, and communities. This year's conference will be the gathering place for disseminating the latest trend data available on prescription drug use and abuse. It will also showcase the rapidly expanding number of innovative demonstrations throughout the United States and beyond that promote responsible, effective, efficient, and safe prescribing, usage, return and disposal practices. The conference theme - Catalysts for Change - serves to emphasize the importance of a broad range of prescription drug stakeholders coming together in partnership to think creatively and constructively about ways in which to address the significant issues associated with the use, abuse, return and disposal of prescription drugs. The theme is premised on the ultimate concern of all groups affected by prescription drugs in promoting the health and well-being of patients through the appropriate use and handling of prescription drugs. The theme further emphasizes the importance of action strategies being undertaken locally, nationally, and internationally which are innovative and bold, holding promise as evidence-based approaches for improving the quality of life and safety of individuals, families, and communities. Submissions are encouraged to address this year's conference theme of "Catalysts for Change." At this time, we are accepting proposals to be considered for presentation at the symposium. Possible topics may include but are not limited to: trends in prescription use or abuse, program strategies for successful drug disposal projects, best practices in prescribing medication, legislation and policies effecting prescription drug use and disposal, results of prescription drug return projects, and alternative therapies to benzodiazepines. If you would like to participate in this exciting event, please submit a 1-page proposal of your presentation to Jason Charland by June 30, 2008 (electronic submissions only please: jason.charland at umit.maine.edu). Please include the following information: * The title and a one paragraph description of your presentation * Your name, degree(s), title, and organizational affiliation * The preferred length for your presentation * Learning objectives of the presentation Each individual or organization may submit more than one proposal. Applicants will be notified of a decision by July 31, 2008. (Please note that the submission of a proposal cannot guarantee its acceptance for presentation). Presenters are responsible for all expenses associated with participation at the 2008 International Symposium. I encourage you to forward this "Call for Proposals" to your colleagues. For more information and an announcement suitable for posting, please visit www.mainebenzo.org/2008conference.htm Please contact the conference coordinator, Jason Charland at jason.charland at umit.maine.edu with any questions. ________________________________ To unsubscribe, clicking the following link: http://soap.siteturbine.com/contacts/subscriptions/index.php?action=unsu bscribe&email=Anne.Rogers at Maine.Gov&topic=49 Copyright (c) 2008 From eschmitz at mcd.org Mon May 5 11:39:16 2008 From: eschmitz at mcd.org (Erica Schmitz) Date: Mon, 5 May 2008 11:39:16 -0400 Subject: [Prevention] Q: What if my community's already planning a mock death event, and they're really excited about it? References: <650A6E11D8739545842C41CAD9D3575417B31F3B@MCDEXCH02.corp.mcd.org> Message-ID: I wonder how many of us are dealing with this same question! Mock car crashes are extremely popular, and we don't want to alienate community partners. Educating coalition members about why scare tactics don't work is not an overnight process-- especially if the events are already planned or underway. Does anyone have advice on how they are dealing with this very issue? I've pasted excerpts from an email exchange with another prevention professional that I thought might be a useful conversation starter. Please let me know if you have any thoughts or insights on this challenging topic. Thanks! - Erica Schmitz, MESAP/21 Reasons, Medical Care Development -- Sent: Fri 5/2/2008 5:03 PM To: Erica Schmitz Subject: Re: Beware! Sales pitches for town hall events Erica: So what would you say to an engaged group of people who are really interested in doing a mock car crash event (Every 15 minutes)-after you have said: -gee, I've got some concerns about this way to go, based on the research, and my general concern about emotional appeals, and -let's take a look at what the experience has been in other places and sort out the amount of effort and energy it will take. Can a case be made for a mock car crash within the context of a broader range of on-going information, education and skill building activities for youth and parents? Is it value added because it engages people? Or is it, in the end, an activity to be discouraged at all costs? Life would be simpler if only my world were a little more black and white........... ; >) -- From: Erica Schmitz Sent: Sat 5/3/2008 9:52 AM Subject: RE: Beware! Sales pitches for town hall events It's a tough call. On the one hand, these types of events can help to draw attention and get people worked up over the issue, so you may be able to then channel that energy into working on solutions (Last year, one community used a mock car crash event as an attention-grabber with a school assembly afterwards and a town meeting that night, which seemed to work for them). On the other hand, there is some chance that the whole "thrill" of it might do more harm than good. At the very least, if your community has its heart set on doing a grim reaper day or mock car crash, you can try to make sure that it somehow helps to support your other efforts by drawing attention to evidence-based solutions such as parental monitoring, law enforcement, and reducing access. You can also try to make sure that the message doesn't end up being "drink responsibly" - i.e. drink, just don't drink and drive. Here is a statistic that can help to put it in perspective for community partners and the media: Only one-third of underage drinking deaths involve auto crashes. The remaining two-thirds involve alcohol poisoning, homicides, suicides, and unintentional injuries such as burns, drowning, and falls. >From http://camy.org/factsheets/index.php?FactsheetID=7 : Three teens are killed each day when they drink alcohol and drive.1 At least six more die every day from other alcohol-related causes.2 1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Traffic Safety Facts 2003 (Washington, DC: National Center for Statistics and Analysis, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2005), table 79. 2. Calculated using Alcohol-Related Disease Impact (ARDI) data, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data include only deaths for ages 15 to 20. M. Stahre of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, e-mail to David H. Jernigan, PhD, 20 December 2005. Hope that helps. Let me know how it goes, and good luck! Erica ________________________________ From: Erica Schmitz Sent: Wed 4/30/2008 3:19 PM Subject: Beware! Sales pitches for town hall events Dear Town Hall Meeting organizers, Like us, you may be receiving sales pitches from for-profit groups that have found your contact info on SAMHSA's Town Hall Meetings website. Beware! We recently received a sales call from a company promoting their "high impact alcohol awareness program." We just received their marketing materials in our office today, and after reviewing them it is clear that "high impact" is another way of saying "scare tactics." In case you are getting pressure from community members to include some shock value in your town hall meeting, here are some notes about scare tactics: We all know that "scare tactic" approaches such as mock car crashes, tragic stories of loss, and gory images can be popular, well-meaning events that often get a lot of attention from communities and media, and may make a strong impression with youth. However, research has shown that this initial impression does not lead to behavior change, and in some cases scare tactics have been shown to increase the harmful behaviors they are trying to prevent. Why don't scare tactics work? In some cases, the scare tactics are so extreme that the audience sees the message as unrealistic. In other cases, even though we might understand the message that something is dangerous or harmful, we still have a tendency to think, "That would never happen to me." Sometimes, scare tactics may actually desensitize us and create an impression in our minds that these dangers and tragedies are "normal." And for people that are thrill-seekers and like to live on the edge, scare tactics can actually make a behavior more appealing. For more information and research on scare tactics, please visit the following websites to read recent articles and summaries: "Scared Straight: Why to Avoid Scare Tactics," from Prevention Forum, Summer, Vol. 26, No. 3, 2006: www.prevention.org/ForumMagazine/documents/ScaredStraight.pdf "Research - Fear Appeals," from the National Social Norms Research Center: www.socialnorm.org/Research/FearAppeals.php "Beyond the Mock Car Crash," from Students Against Destructive Decisions: www.sadd.org/newsletter/07News_winter_mockcrash.pdf "Don't Do It! Ineffective Prevention Strategies," from the Colorado Department of Education: www.cde.state.co.us/cdeprevention/download/pdf/Ineffective_Damaging_Strategies.pdf Sometimes it can be a delicate balance between using scare tactics and simply presenting the facts (which are scary). If you have any questions or would simply like to commiserate about all the sales calls you've been getting, please give us a call. Sincerely, Erica, Emily, and Jo MESAP & 21 Reasons Medical Care Development, Inc. - Erica Schmitz, MPP Director, MESAP & 21 Reasons Medical Care Development, Inc. 107 Elm Street, Suite 300 Portland ME 04101 Office: (207) 773-7737 Cell: (207) 899-5130 Email: eschmitz at mcd.org MESAP is Maine's Environmental Substance Abuse Prevention Center. We provide training, technical assistance, and tools for communities to translate into practice the latest research in environmental prevention. For more information about our services, visit www.mcd.org/MESAP.asp . 21 Reasons is a coalition of individuals, organizations, and businesses with a common goal: to build a healthy community environment with policies, practices, and attitudes that support the drug-free development of all youth. Please join us! For more information, visit www.21reasons.org . From Maryann.Gotreau at maine.gov Mon May 5 16:08:39 2008 From: Maryann.Gotreau at maine.gov (Gotreau, Maryann) Date: Mon, 5 May 2008 16:08:39 -0400 Subject: [Prevention] School Substance Abuse Policy Guide Webinars Message-ID: This is just a gentle reminder that the three School Substance Abuse Policy Guide Webinars are happening over the next three weeks. If you haven't already, please register at the following links: May 8th from 1:00 - 2:00 http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Sa4Nb_2bg2Dlc6VnowOKA7rw_3d_3d May 13th from 2:00 - 3:00 http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=eadVp1muN1UW_2bR4sVMMCGA_3d_3d May 19th from 3:00 - 4:00 http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=xGAeKyCFVxx7AjfK7V6cCw_3d_3d Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Maryann Gotreau, MPPM Prevention Specialist Office of Substance Abuse 41 Anthony Ave 11 State House Station Augusta, Maine 04333-0011 www.maineosa.org Phone: (207) 287-5713 TTY: 1-800-606-0215 Fax: (207) 287-8910 Email: Maryann.Gotreau at maine.gov The Office of Substance Abuse has moved to 41 Anthony Ave (see http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/osa/about/maps.htm for directions). Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. From Maryann.Gotreau at maine.gov Tue May 6 14:47:46 2008 From: Maryann.Gotreau at maine.gov (Gotreau, Maryann) Date: Tue, 6 May 2008 14:47:46 -0400 Subject: [Prevention] FW: New Americorps*VISTA opportunities at MYAN Message-ID: ________________________________ From: Maine Youth Action Network (MYAN) [mailto:bjr at propeople.org] Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 2:43 PM To: Gotreau, Maryann Subject: New Americorps*VISTA opportunities at MYAN STAFF OPPORTUNITIES Two New Americorps*VISTA staff positions available at MYAN. Pass the word! Do you believe in the power of youth voice? Want to connect youth and adult allies with the tools they need to work together to change their worlds? The Maine Youth Action Network (MYAN), a program of the People's Regional Opportunity Program, has two openings for VISTA positions starting this summer. The positions can start anywhere from mid July to mid August, depending on applicant availability. The application deadline is June 4th. For a link to more information about these positions, check out the MYAN News section on the front page of our website, www.myan.org . MYAN trains, supports, connects and advocates for youth organized to effect positive change through school and community-based peer programs statewide. MYAN promotes youth involvement and empowerment in its daily operations and supports other organizations in taking this important step by facilitating regional support networks, coordinating an email-based communication network, publishing an e-newsletter, maintaining a website, offering trainings, and organizing skill building events. This VISTA service opportunity is part of collaborative initiative between Maine's Children's Cabinet, Communities for Children and Youth, and the Muskie School of Public Service, USM. The collaborative seeks to improve the lives of Maine's kids and seniors by supporting high quality, local and regional anti-poverty initiatives. Each VISTA serves directly with community partners to address specific child, youth, and/or senior needs identified by an organization within the community. Currently over 45 VISTA members serve with our community partners across the state. The VISTA program provides a number of high quality professional development opportunities for VISTA members that address a range of topics including: grant writing, interpersonal communication, group facilitation, positive youth development, senior services, volunteer management, and program assessment. Through these and other networking opportunities, VISTAs are able to develop strong supportive connections with other members serving on child, youth, and senior related efforts. A year of service by a VISTA member is a gift to the people and community they serve. We strive to match VISTAs with appropriate and meaningful projects, as well as support them in their efforts to make a difference throughout their year of service. Please distribute this widely to others and help pass the word about the two new positions opening at MYAN this summer. Sincerely, Beth Yvonne MYAN 207-874-0060 byvonne at propeople.org DHHS logo, HMP logo, PROP logo www.myan.org MYAN is an initiative of the People's Regional Opportunity Program, funded by a collaborative effort of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Office of Substance Abuse) and the Department of Education, supported primarily by the fund for Healthy Maine and federal grants from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and Department of Education. Forward email Safe Unsubscribe This email was sent to maryann.gotreau at maine.gov, by bjr at propeople.org Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe (tm) | Privacy Policy . Email Marketing by Maine Youth Action Network | 510 Cumberland Ave. | Portland | ME | 04101 From eschmitz at mcd.org Mon May 12 10:43:56 2008 From: eschmitz at mcd.org (Erica Schmitz) Date: Mon, 12 May 2008 10:43:56 -0400 Subject: [Prevention] Webcast on WCSH 6: 21 Reasons and parental monitoring References: Message-ID: Hi everyone, Please check out this great webcast interview with Jo Morrissey, Assistant Project Director for 21 Reasons in Portland, from WCSH6 at 7 AM on Sunday morning (yes, that is how Jo started her Mother's Day!) http://www.wcsh6.com/news/news_links/article.aspx?storyid=86754 The interview focuses on parental monitoring tips and mentions the OSA campaign. The "play video" link is to the right of the write-up. There is also a link to maineparents.net. We're very pleased with how it came out. Please pass it on! Erica Schmitz, MPP Director, MESAP & 21 Reasons Medical Care Development, Inc. 107 Elm Street, Suite 300 Portland ME 04101 (207) 773-7737 eschmitz at mcd.org www.mcd.org/MESAP.asp www.21reasons.org From mshaughnessy at masap.org Mon May 12 14:09:03 2008 From: mshaughnessy at masap.org (Malory Shaughnessy) Date: Mon, 12 May 2008 14:09:03 -0400 Subject: [Prevention] FW: alcohol news Message-ID: <007c01c8b45b$471c4dc0$6501a8c0@TRAVEL> FYI - a variety of news. Malory _____ Sent: Monday, May 12, 2008 2:00 PM To: undisclosed-recipients: Subject: alcohol news Gender gap in alcohol drinking, dependence shrinks Mon May 5, 2008 5:38pm EDT Source: Reuters There have been marked increases in alcohol consumption and alcohol dependence among U.S. women, particularly among white and Hispanic women born in the U.S. after World War II, new research shows. "This is particularly disturbing because women with alcohol problems face more severe health-related consequences and possibly more years of life lost than their male counterparts," researchers write in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. Dr. Richard A. Grucza, of Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, and colleagues analyzed two national surveys about alcohol use that were conducted 10 years apart in age-matched adults. Compared with women born between 1944 and 1953, women born between 1954 and 1963 were much more apt to drink alcohol and those who drank had a higher risk of alcohol dependence, the researchers report in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. "We found that for women born after World War II, there are lower levels of abstaining from alcohol and higher levels of alcohol dependence, even when looking only at women who drank," Grucza said in a written statement. This was not the case for men; men born more recently did not have lower levels of abstaining or higher levels of alcohol dependence. Dr. Shelly F. Greenfield, of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Program at McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts, who was not involved in the study, said this research "adds important information to the accumulating evidence that the gender gap between women and men in the prevalence of alcohol dependence is narrowing." The fact that drinking alcohol became more socially acceptable for women throughout the years may be one reason for the up tic in drinking among women, Greenfield noted. "As it was socially more acceptable for women to drink, a greater number of them became drinkers. Because women have a heightened vulnerability to the effects of alcohol ... we may therefore see a concomitant rise in alcohol dependence among those who ever drank." Grucza concurs: "Clearly there were many changes in the cultural environment for women born in the 40s, 50s, and 60s compared to women born earlier. Women entered the work force, were more likely to go to college, were less hampered by gender stereotypes, and had more purchasing power. They were freer to engage in a range of behaviors that were culturally or practically off-limits, and these behaviors probably would have included excessive drinking and alcohol problems." ------------ New Liquor Item Scoring Big With Teens Community Leaders Are Telling Parents to Be Aware Source: CBS2 Chicago May 5th Prom season is weeks away for some teenagers, but there is an imminent warning for parents about a new alcoholic drink. CBS 2's Mike Puccinelli explains why Pocket Shots are scoring big with the teen crowd. It's a shot of alcohol that's advertised as going anywhere with you. That may be true, because on YouTube CBS 2 found people showing off their pocket shots on snow covered mountains, on skateboards, and even in the car. According to the company's Web site, Pocket Shots are not available in Illinois yet, but that doesn't mean they're not here. Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow admitted to discovering the item under a table after a local prom. He says Pocket Shots, portable flasks, are readily available a short drive away in Wisconsin. "That's most likely where this came from for a prom here in Northern Illinois," he said. Pocket Shots come in five different varieties including whiskey, rum, vodka, gin and tequila. All are 80 proof. And Glasgow believes all are marketed to people looking to smuggle liquor into a restricted area. And he says one age group is being specifically targeted. "Who's the one that would really like to get their hands on this? That's teenagers," Glasgow said. Cherry Powell agrees. She's a prevention coordinator with Education Service Network, a social services agency serving three counties. "If I could say something to parents, I would tell all parents to beware because we have another enemy," she said. "Every time you look out there, there's something out there trying to get money and at the same time getting our kids. And here it is." A less than two-ounce enemy that she believes will end up costing lives. That's why she says she'll be working with officials to try to prevent Pocket Shots from setting up shop in Illinois. But a Pocket Shots spokesperson says they just started selling the product in Illinois. According to the spokesperson, they do not market to teenagers and their average customer is 35 to 37years old. Glasgow says he hopes to persuade state lawmakers to make Pocket Shots illegal in the state. Link: \http://cbs2chicago.com/local/pocket.shots.flask.2.716645.html ------------ Debate to Lower Drinking Age is Heating Up Posted: May 2, 2008 05:09 PM EDT Source: WKBT The debate over whether to lower the legal drinking age is heating up in many states, including Wisconsin. A state representative from Black River Falls is sponsoring legislation that would allow military members 19 and older to drink legally in Wisconsin. Some legislators believe men and women who are old enough to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan are also responsible enough to buy and drink alcohol. The Pat Ruda, Director of La Crosse's Coulee Council on Addictions, says the bill isn't a good move because they've been working long and hard to prevent and reduce underage drinking. "If we know, and there's enough evidence and proof out there, that the brain is not fully developed and that good decision making doesn't happen when a young person is under the influence. That doesn't quite make a lot of sense to me," says Ruda. Seven other states are also considering lowering the legal drinking age. A Minnesota bill would allow anyone 18 and older to buy alcohol in bars and restaurants, but not in liquor stores until they're 21. The Wisconsin bill is scheduled to be introduced in the state assembly this fall. ------------ Alcohol-outlet density and violence are clearly linked over time Source: EurekAlert May 5th A new Australian study examines the relationship between alcohol-outlet density and violence over time. All three types of outlets examined - hotel pubs, bars and packaged-liquor outlets -had positive relationships with assault rates. Hotel pubs and bars were the biggest drivers of violence in inner-city areas, while packaged-liquor outlets were more important in suburban areas. While previous studies have confirmed a relationship between alcohol-outlet density and violence, few have looked at what happens within a suburb as outlet density changes. An Australian study examined this relationship over time . finding that increasing the density of all kinds of alcohol outlets in a suburb leads to increasing rates of violence in that suburb. Results will be published in the June issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at OnlineEarly. "The literature shows that suburbs with more alcohol outlets experience more violence, but only a handful of papers have explored what happens within a suburb as outlet density changes," explained Michael Livingston, a research fellow at the Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre and the study's sole author. "In addition, the study examined whether different types of outlets - hotel pubs, bars and restaurants, packaged-liquor outlets - had different effects in specific types of suburbs - inner-city, outer-suburbs, etc. - which is a question that few studies in this area have examined." "A longitudinal study like this provides much stronger evidence about the causal nature of any relationships found," added Robin Room, director of the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Centre for Alcohol Policy Research and professor in the school of population health at the University of Melbourne. Livingston gathered and analyzed nine years of information, from the years 1996 to 2005, for three groupings of data: three types of alcohol outlets - general (hotel), on-premise (nightclubs, restaurants and bars), and packaged - using liquor-licensing records; alcohol-related violence, using police-recorded night-time assault numbers; and 186 postcodes (the equivalent of zip codes) in the metropolitan area of Melbourne, corresponding to roughly 85 percent of the population. The postcodes were further grouped into five clusters, based on socio-demographics. "The study found that, across Melbourne, the three types of outlets examined - hotel pubs, bars, and packaged liquor outlets - all had positive relationships to assault rates," said Livingston. "In other words, increasing the density of these outlets in a suburb leads to increasing rates of violence in that suburb. When these relationships were explored for specific types of suburbs, it was found that hotels and bars were the biggest drivers of violence in inner-city areas and packaged liquor outlets were more important in suburban areas." Livingston explained that, for inner-city areas, each additional hotel pub or on-premise license was related to two extra night-time assaults per year - the strongest link found in the study. Bars and restaurants were strongly related to violence in inner-suburban areas, with each extra premise responsible for, on average, an extra 0.5 night-time assaults per year. Packaged liquor outlets were the strongest influence on violence rates in outer-suburban areas, he added. "The results of this study don't really point to particular communities being more at risk than others," Livingston said, "instead they suggest that different types of outlets are problematic in different areas." "These differences likely reflect how different types of outlets function in different parts of the metropolitan area," added Room. "Many of the purchases from downtown package stores may be by commuters, with the alcohol consumed elsewhere, while package stores in the suburbs may be more problematic, for instance, in attracting under-age drinkers. Generally, it seems that on-premise outlets may be more problematic downtown, while packaged liquor outlets are more problematic in the suburbs." Both Livingston and Room recommend that greater attention be paid to outlet density when issuing liquor licenses. "The strong longitudinal relationship between outlet density and violence greatly strengthens the evidence base that density of alcohol outlets in a suburb is a driver of violence, making liquor licensing and planning regulations legitimate areas for public-health interventions," said Livingston. "Alcohol controls," noted Room, "that is, limits on the number of licenses, on opening hours, etc., definitely matter, even if we often take them for granted as part of the social scenery. Rates of harms due to drinking can be influenced by these kinds of not-very-visible controls. Specifically, the density of alcohol outlets is an important dimension to consider in alcohol policymaking." Livingston recommended that residents pay attention to the number and kind of alcohol outlets in their neighborhoods. "The strongest implication of these findings for the average reader is that changes to the local environment, through additional outlets, can lead to increasing local problems, such as violence. We're advocating a much more localised approach to liquor licensing, where local governments have a greater say in how their areas are developed." ### Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research (ACER) is the official journal of the Research Society on Alcoholism and the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism. The study's title is "A Longitudinal Analysis of Alcohol Outlet Density and Assault." The study was funded by the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation. Maine: Referendum proposal targets tax on beer, wine and sodas Source: Associated Press May 04, 2008 5:02 PM Several small business owners formally launched a referendum challenge aimed at repealing new taxes on sodas, beer and wine adopted with a goal of bolstering funding for Maine's Dirigo Health program. The Fed Up With Taxes coalition says the tax increases were approved without any public hearing in the final days of the legislative session. "It's time to say 'enough is enough' and that's what this referendum is all about," Newell Augur, the coalition's director, said Sunday in a statement. Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap now has 10 business days to accept or reject the group's application, which was filed Friday. To get the referendum on the November ballot, supporters would have to collect 55,087 valid signatures by July 17. Getting so many signatures in such a short amount of time is a major challenge for the newly formed coalition, "but there is no question that we have support from people from all over Maine who want a chance to be heard when it comes to taxes," Augur said. The groups want to undo the proposal pushed by Democratic majorities with Gov. John Baldacci's backing to broaden beer and wine taxes. The package also imposes new wholesale taxes on soda and syrup. The law also replaces Dirigo's savings offset formula with a 1.8 percent surcharge on health insurance claims. Rejection of the law would mean a return to old savings offset formula that was criticized, said David Farmer, Baldacci's spokesman. As for the taxes, the governor wanted to increase taxes on cigarettes but lawmakers favored tax increases on sodas, beer and wine, Farmer said. The Blue Ribbon Commission on Dirigo Health Reform last year proposed additional taxes on beer, wine, soft drinks and snacks, Farmer noted. "These are not new ideas. This is not something that sprung up in the dark of night," Farmer said. "This is something that's been talked about for a long time." Joining Augur in filing the referendum application were Mike Cyr, a convenience store owner; Leslie Thistle, owner of Bangor Wine and Cheese Company; Wanda Blais, an accountant; Troy Plummer, a supermarket manager; and Alisa Coffin, a restaurant owner. Groups that have signed onto the effort so far include the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, Maine Restaurant Association, Maine Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association, Maine Innkeepers Association and Maine Oil Dealers Association. D.C.: DC Considers Ban On Single Bottles Of Alcohol POSTED: 7:49 am EDT May 6, 2008 UPDATED: 8:25 am EDT May 6, 2008 Source: May 6th The D.C. Council is considering a ban in some areas of the city on the sale of single bottles of malt liquor and beer that are 70 ounces or less. The ban would affect wards 4, 7 and 8. Ward 4 already has a temporary ban. Council members Muriel Bowser, Yvette Alexander and Marion Barry have banded together to back the ban, which will be considered Tuesday. They say sales of singles contribute to social ills in their communities. Alexander has dismissed the idea that the ban would cause stores to go out of business. She says public drunkenness and other problems are often the result of sales of singles. Early alcohol may fuel heavy drinking, rats show Tue May 6, 2008 10:39am EDT NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In a study of adolescent rats, scientist saw that early alcohol exposure led to a tendency toward heavy drinking later on -- and the same might be true for humans. "We know that adolescence is a vulnerable time," Dr. Nicole L. Schramm-Sapyta from Duke University Medical Center noted in a written statement, and many teens experiment with alcohol. "Our key finding is that drinking patterns may be established after only a few exposures to alcohol. Rats that demonstrated a 'taste' for alcohol after only three nights of drinking were very likely to be the biggest drinkers after longer-term exposure." In the federally-funded study, the researchers studied 48 rats that were 28 days old -- the equivalent of rodent adolescence. During the first three nights of the study, the rats were given only 10-percent alcohol to drink. After that, for 10 days, they had a choice of water or alcohol. The scientists found that the rats that drank the most alcohol on the third day of the study also drank the most alcohol in the later days of the study. After that, the rodents were deprived of alcohol for two days and then again given a choice between alcohol and water. The rats that drank heavily at the beginning of the experiment returned to this alcohol consumption pattern when offered alcohol again. These results suggest that "early exposure to alcohol may initiate a pattern of heavy drinking and increased vulnerability to relapse," the researchers write in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. "The findings suggest that early 'big drinkers' are the people who should be targeted for alcoholism-prevention efforts," Schramm-Sapyta concluded. She and her colleagues also tested the rats drinking habits after they determined their individual level of "novelty-seeking behavior" -- namely, their preference for seeking out new objects and for exploring a new place. They also monitored their drinking habits right after they had traveled through an elevated maze -- a way to raise anxiety levels and measure stress-related hormone levels. "We chose to examine novelty seeking and stress because these are two characteristics we see in some populations that develop problem drinking," Schramm-Sapyta explained. Surprisingly, stress and novelty-seeking were not related to drinking patterns. "This suggests that there are other characteristics that we as scientists should be looking for, that are related to the early experiences of drinking," Schramm-Sapyta noted. ----------- United Kingdom: Johnson unveils Tube alcohol ban Source: BBC May 7th The alcohol ban was a key pledge during Mr Johnson's mayoral campaign Plans to ban drinking alcohol on London's transport system will be unveiled by new mayor Boris Johnson. He will join London's transport commissioner Peter Hendy to set out a timeline for bringing in the measure. The ban on the Tube, trains, buses and Docklands Light Railway, was one of Mr Johnson's election pledges. It is also part of a wider strategy to tackle anti-social behaviour. New posters will be unveiled advising passengers of the no-alcohol policy. ----------- United Kingdom: Alcohol abuse costing Scottish economy ?2.25bn a year Source: The Times May 6th Scotland's problem with alcohol abuse is costing the economy billions in health, crime and lost working days. The devastating scale of alcohol abuse in Scotland is costing the country ?2.25 billion a year - a figure that is more than double the previous estimate and even at that could be an underestimate, according to an official report. The result is a "huge" knock-on effect to the economy. Alcohol effectively acts as a handbrake on the country, with lower productivity at work and days off from hangovers costing Scottish business ?400million a year. Shona Robison, the Public Health Minister, said Scotland's drink problem was holding back the country's potential. The Scottish Government is ploughing ?120 million out of its budget of ?30 billion into tackling the impact of alcohol abuse. Government statisticians estimate that in 2006-07 the cost of alcohol misuse could be broken down into the following categories: the NHS (?405million); social work services (?170 million); criminal justice and the Fire Service (?385million); wider economic costs (?820million) and human/social costs (?470million). The report included the impact to children, psychiatric services and GP surgeries. The use of NHS beds to treat drinkers could cost the health service more than ?150million. Liver cirrhosis deaths, which have soared in Scotland in the past 30 years, are outstripping the rest of Europe, where deaths are falling. The report said that premature deaths are estimated to cost Scotland ?328million and that accident and emergency departments have been hit with a ?32.2million burden. The police response to alcohol misuse is estimated to be costing ?288million - with alcohol assumed to be behind 40 per cent of violent crimes. Ms Robison said: "Alcohol misuse isn't just damaging our health and straining our services, it's holding back our potential as a nation. The report also points out that there are a great many intangible costs to Scottish society from alcohol misuse - how do you put a price on domestic violence?" The report - Costs of Alcohol Use and Misuse in Scotland - was based on published data in the past eight years. One of the most shocking trends it revealed was the overall acceleration in social and economic damage as a result of alcohol abuse. In 2001 a similar report estimated the cost of alcohol misuse to be about ?1.07 billion. In 2004-05 the Scottish Executive's health analytical services division estimated the cost as ?1.125 billion. The authors stated: "Many of the costs in terms of human suffering are intangible and are not quantified in routine data collection." Where there was no tangible cost, they based their findings on averages and trends. The report said there were 46,199 referrals to the children's hearing system in Scotland in 2006. Of these, 1,609 had grounds of "misused drugs or alcohol" and 19,086 were referred for "lack of parental care". The authors assumed that 24 per cent of these were down to alcohol abuse and put the cost to the children's hearing system at ?2.3 million. Agreeing to Ban Drink Specials Not Illegal Price-Fixing: Wisconsin High Court Source: Beverage News Daily May 7, 2008 Madison, Wis., bars that agreed to eliminate drink specials on weekends cannot be sued for an illegal price-fixing conspiracy, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled. The court refused to reinstate a lawsuit brought by drinkers claiming they were overcharged as a result of the bars' 2002 pact to stop serving drink specials after 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. More than 20 downtown bars joined the agreement, which was designed to thwart a total ban the city was considering on specials like two-for-one beers or $1 shots. City and University of Wisconsin-Madison officials argue the specials encouraged dangerous binge drinking among students. But a Minnesota law firm sued the bars in 2004 on behalf of UW-Madison students and other drinkers who claimed they were ripped off by the bars. The lawsuit, which sought "tens of millions of dollars" in damages, alleged the agreement was an illegal conspiracy to raise prices and prevent competition. The bars are immune from state antitrust law because they acted under pressure from city regulators who wanted to crack down on binge drinking among college students, Justice David Prosser wrote for the court. He noted regulators had warned bars to "clean up their act" or face tighter restrictions on their liquor licenses and a ban on drink specials. "It is undisputed that the defendants entered into their agreement as a direct response to the city's increasing regulatory pressure," Prosser wrote. Indiana: Local board votes against Wal-Mart liquor permit (Excerpt) Thursday, May 08, 2008 Source: NWI.com Wal-Mart will not have the support of the local liquor board when it asks the state alcohol and tobacco commission for a liquor license for its Schererville store. The local board on Wednesday voted 2-1 to give the request an unfavorable recommendation. Indiana Excise Police Officer Walt Collins, who sits on the board, was the lone supporter of the retail giant's request. He emphasized that the board's decision was just a recommendation and that the state has the final say. Wal-Mart is seeking a permit that allows drug stores to sell packaged beer, wine and liquor. Store representatives showed up with more than a half-dozen employees who supported the request, saying customers frequently ask if the store sells alcohol and are disappointed to find out it doesn't. Bonnee Reay, representing First Baptist Church of Hammond, presented a petition of opposition with 1,900 signatures. United Kingdom: Tesco cheap booze hypocrisy slammed 08/05/2008 09:55 Source: MA Written by: Ewan Turney The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) has slammed the hypocrisy of Tesco over its cheap booze offers. Over the bank holiday weekend, Tesco ran a TV commercial with the strapline - "Carlsberg don't do price promotions. But we do." The supermarket giant was flogging a crate of 20 Carlsberg Export bottles for just ?7.49 - just 37p a bottle. Back in February, Tesco said they would support measures to curb irresponsible promotions. ALMR chief executive Nick Bish said: "To borrow Carlsberg's line: Pubs don't do hypocrisy. Tesco do. "We doubted Tesco's intentions in February and over the weekend we were conclusively proved right. "Their Carlsberg promotion is unacceptable and in complete contrast to the highly responsible approach to drinks pricing adopted by Britain's pubs and bars. "This is probably the most hypocritical offer in the world. "We hope Tesco will start practising what they preach and adopt a more responsible approach over the next Bank Holiday weekend, later this month." United Kingdom: Report censures alcohol retailing by supermarkets 07-May-08 Source: Marketing Week The Government is set to turn its attention to supermarkets in its attempt to address concerns over underage and binge drinking. A report on alcohol industry standards and best practice, due to be unveiled by the Home Office this week, is understood to call for a probe into low alcohol prices at retailers and how they impact on alcohol harm. Earlier this year, the Home Office appointed management consultancy KPMG to review the alcohol industry's existing voluntary codes, including the Portman Group's code of practice and the alcohol advertising codes set up by the self-regulatory Advertising Standards Auth?ority (MW February 7). Insiders say that the KPMG report will turn the spotlight on supermarkets promoting low-price alcohol, as well as pubs and bars that offer "happy hours", as part of plans to find effective ways to reduce under-age and binge drinking. "We expect the report to say that self-regulation is working in alcohol advertising, but that there also needs to be a cohesive set of standards to bring retailers and pubs and bars in line with the rest of the industry," says the insider. The move to review the industry codes forms part of Home Secretary Jacqui Smith's plans to tackle the problems of alcohol-related crime and disorder. The report will increase pressure on supermarkets, which are already facing a string of investigations by the Office of Fair Trading into alleged price-fixing. The inquiry is looking into the allegation that grocers and their suppliers sought to fix the price of over 100 everyday items. It has also been reported that alcohol brands such as Carlsberg and Bulmers are being questioned by the OFT over pricing information. Anyone found guilty of setting prices artificially high could be fined up to 10% of their annual sales. Beer Industry Heads to Capitol Hill, Promotes U.S. Constitution, Effective State Regulation and Product Quality Issues Source: NBWA May 9th Top Policy-Makers, Political Commentator to Headline Educational Sessions Nearly 1,000 beer distributors and brewer representatives will converge on the nation's capital May 12-15 to advocate for a number of economic and regulatory issues of importance to the beer industry, as part of the 18th Annual NBWA/BREWERS Legislative Conference. The event takes place at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill. In addition to conducting congressional visits with their respective members of Congress, attendees will also hear from some of today's most engaging and respected political figures. Renowned political pundit Charlie Cook will kick-off this year's political lineup Tuesday, May 13, by shedding light on voting trends and 2008 campaign strategies. U.S. Representative John Larson (CT-1), Vice-Chair of the Democratic Caucus, will speak on Tuesday as well, followed by Republican Minority Whip, Roy Blunt (MO-7), on Wednesday, May 14. "The year 2008 is a pivotal time for the beer industry. As we reflect on 75 years of the passage of the 21st Amendment and celebrate the United States' successful state-based, three tier alcohol regulatory system, our industry is mindful that this is also a time when economic stability and healthcare issues weigh heavily on the minds of many Americans. This conference is especially timely for beer distributors to educate lawmakers, media and the public at large about the industry's positive economic and societal contributions that benefit communities across the country," said NBWA President Craig Purser. "Not only do beer distributors and brewers provide solid jobs and healthcare benefits to roughly 130,000 hard-working men and women, they play a significant role in working to protect the American consumer by providing a transparent and accountable chain-of-custody for a wide variety of beer." During congressional visits, attendees will: Seek support Congressional Resolutions "Celebrating 75 Years of Successful State-based Alcohol Regulation" Advocate the effectiveness of the United States' state-based three-tiered alcohol regulatory system, which, for 75 years, has maintained quality control and product integrity and provided retailers and consumers with "peace of mind" Educate members of Congress and their staffs on a number of public initiatives undertaken by the beer industry encouraging the responsible consumption of alcohol. NBWA continues to seek full-funding of the Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking ("STOP") Act, signed into law by President Bush at the end of the 109th Congress. Inform legislators of the continued disproportionate and unfair burden on consumers from the federal excise tax on beer. Nearly 50 percent of all beer purchased in the U.S. is bought by consumers with household incomes below $50,000, raising concern that the beer excise tax continues to negatively impact consumers. Michigan: Gas station owners see profit in alcohol sales Dozens ask state for license to sell it May 10th BY JOHN WISELY Source: Detroit FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS Record high oil prices haven't helped the bottom line of local gas stations, so many retailers have started selling something more profitable -- alcohol. During the past two years, more than 150 gas stations across the state have added suds and vino to the pop, juice and milk that have long filled their coolers, according to the Michigan Liquor Control Commission. And dozens more plan to follow the trend as a way to remain competitive, industry experts say. Alcohol abuse prevention experts worry that the additional alcohol outlets will result in more underage drinking, drunken driving and alcohol poisoning. For some of those same reasons, Michigan has restricted the practice in the past -- except for gas stations in rural areas. But lawsuits from station owners and other pressures have forced the state to grant more requests in recent years. Independent gas station operators in urban and suburban areas say the drinks are needed in their stores to keep them viable against big-box retailers like Costco and Meijer, who sell both gas and alcohol -- though you have to go inside the stores to by alcohol, and the stores tend to be several hundred feet from the gas pumps. "It's very important," said Najy Jaboro, who started selling beer and wine at his Sterling Heights station about a year ago. "I think it's probably upped my business by 20% or more." And drinkers seem to like the convenience. "They've got everything in there: beer, wine and liquor," Tony Williams, 40, of Farmington Hills said after buying a 12-pack of Michelob Ultra at the Northwestern Shell Station this week. "What's the difference if you can go down the road and buy the beer anyway? Up North, you can buy it in the gas stations, too." A question of good public policy The state has issued 1,696 liquor licenses to stores that also sell gasoline, but almost all of those are stores in rural areas or big-box retailers. "There has always been a certain sentiment against licensing alcohol at gas stations," said Ken Wozniak, a spokesman for the Michigan Liquor Control Commission. "The commission still, philosophically, doesn't like the idea. They think it's not a good public policy." People who work in abuse prevention say the more pervasive alcohol sales become, the more young people are encouraged to drink. "We want to make sure we're not raising up a generation that thinks it has to be a part of everything," said Homer Smith, state executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Others acknowledge the competitive pressures facing independent stations, but they argue it's not worth the risk. "It's a temporary solution for people who have licenses," said Penny Norton, CEO of FACE, a nationwide nonprofit based in Clare that advocates better public policy on alcohol issues. "The incidence of oversaturation has a big price tag to it." Norton said more sellers of alcohol means more work for police agencies to ensure compliance with liquor laws and perform sobriety checks. But opponents said it also creates more opportunities for minors to steal, buy or have someone else buy alcohol for them. "The state should limit licenses," Norton said. "They should use global position system data to mark the geographic location of them and base it on population. How many licenses does a town of 4,000 need?" Over the years, the Michigan Liquor Control Commission has tried to limit the selling of alcohol near gas stations. And other states have, too. Indiana requires convenience stores to sell beer at room temperature to prevent customers from buying a drink and cracking it open as soon as they reach their vehicles. And Colorado requires them to sell beer with low alcohol content, according to the National Association of Convenience Stores. But Michigan has always made exceptions, too. Wozniak said that for decades, the state allowed retailers in rural communities with populations below 3,000 to sell alcohol and gas because they might be the only store in town. Later that population exemption was raised to 4,000, he said. In the 1980s, when Meijer stores pioneered the one-stop shopping concept in Michigan, company officials sought to add gasoline pumps outside their stores that also sold alcohol, Wozniak said. The state agreed, on the condition that the store stock at least $250,000 worth of merchandise, a threshold that precluded small stations. A challenge from smaller stations But smaller stations have begun challenging that provision as unfair. They say they can't compete against big-box retailers that sell both gas and alcohol. "There is no rational basis for how they grant licenses," said Joseph Shallal, a Southfield attorney who specializes in licensing issues. "They discriminate between regular license stores and those that have gas pumps." Shallal said he has been successful in getting licenses for station operators recently and more are hoping to do the same. "I probably had 15 or 20 calls last month," Shallal said. Keeping up with competition The Shell Station at the corner of Northwestern Highway and Middlebelt Road in Farmington Hills has been remodeled to include beer, wine and liquor. The store is open 24 hours. The liquor license was harder to get, said Shallal, who helped the station get it. Liquor licenses are limited based on population. But beer and wine licenses are not. A beer and wine license costs $100 per year, and the state can grant the request with or without approval from the local government. Jaboro owned the Rusty Keg Party Shoppe at the corner of Metropolitan Parkway and Ryan Road in Sterling Heights for more than 20 years. Three years ago, he bulldozed it and replaced it with a gas station that included 6,100 square feet of retail space inside. He has been approved for a liquor license, but he said he wants to move some things around inside the store before he begins selling it. Jaboro said he needs alcohol sales inside to make up for weak profits on gas, which average just pennies per gallon, literally. And when motorists pay by credit card, the stations pay a percentage to the bank for handling the transaction. That fee can reduce a slim profit on gasoline to a break-even or even a money-losing transaction, owners said. "The ability to sell beer and wine in a convenience store is very important to attracting convenience customers," said Jeff Lenard, vice president of the National Association of Convenience Stores, an industry trade group. ------------------- Washington: Ban high-test drinks, Liquor Control Board urged Source: News Tribune May 7th, 2008 09:00 PM | Updated: May 8th, 2008 10:46 AM The days of selling cheap, high-powered booze in Tacoma's South End and Eastside appear to be numbered. More than 100 people attended a hearing in front of the State Liquor Control Board Wednesday to urge the agency to adopt an Alcohol Impact Area. A vote by the three-member board is expected later sometime in June, but the public comments were unanimous: The residents and business owners want sales of the cheap drinks to end. In front of the three-person panel inside Tacoma's city council chambers sat a table displaying empty 24-ounce cans and 40-ounce bottles. Beside the table were poster boards showing photos of passed-out drunks and piles of littered cans and bottles. Lt. Kathy McAlpine, a police sector commander whose area includes the Eastside and South End, described the lengthy process that led to Wednesday's hearing. Pat McGregor and Bob McCutchan, the co-chairs of the AIA task force, explained the factors that led to the drive. Bert Hayes, a community liaison officer, displayed density maps that showed the spike in alcohol-related calls for service for the proposed area since 2001, when the first AIA was established on the Hilltop and downtown. Residents shared stories about dealing with chronic public drunks. Some stressed the strain the drunks put on public services. Others expressed their hope that an AIA will make parks and neighborhoods more family-friendly. One man dropped off two trash bags full of cans from a recent cleanup. "(These drinks) have no value," said Mary DeGruy, a sobering program director with the Metropolitan Development Council. "It serves no purpose for the community. If it were up to me, the whole city would be an AIA." The proposed area's boundaries are Interstate 5 to the west and north and Portland Avenue to the east. Its southern border is mostly defined by 72nd Street, though several blocks that extend farther south are included. The law enables municipalities to restrict sales certain products, but not enact blanket bans on drinks that meet certain price or alcohol-content thresholds. Fifty-nine products will be restricted if the new AIA is enacted, including Boone's Farm, MD 20/20, Johnny Bootlegger, Mickey's, Olde English 800 and Tilt. The executive director of the Korean-American Grocers Association of Washington State supports the effort but worried a ban will hurt many of the small stores in the proposed area because other stores in other neighborhoods will continue to sell the products. "We're not trying to go against what you're trying to do," Chuang Lieu said. "We support the city's effort for the AIA. But do it for the whole city. ... Why not do it for the whole state? Is there a law against that?" This would be the second Alcohol Impact Area in Tacoma and the fifth in Washington. The proposed AIA is the culmination of a grassroots effort by community activists working with public officials that began in 2006. The laborious Alcohol Impact Area law required organizers to follow several time-consuming steps, including allowing stores to voluntarily pull the products from their shelves (it didn't work) and ask the Tacoma city council to petition the Liquor Control Board, which it did with a unanimous vote in January. "It's been three years," McGregor said. "But the finish line is in sight. From Anne.Rogers at maine.gov Tue May 13 10:23:53 2008 From: Anne.Rogers at maine.gov (Rogers, Anne) Date: Tue, 13 May 2008 10:23:53 -0400 Subject: [Prevention] FW: Mailback Program Update from the Center on Aging Message-ID: I am forwarding this, in case you would like to share with your community or coalition. My apologies for any cross posting. Anne Rogers SPF SIG Coordinator Office of Substance Abuse 207-287-4706 www.maineosa.org ________________________________ From: Jennifer Crittenden [mailto:jen at mainecenteronaging.org] Sent: Monday, May 12, 2008 9:48 AM To: Jennifer Crittenden Subject: Mailback Program Update from the Center on Aging Greetings! This e-mail is being sent to individuals who have expressed interest in following the Safe Medicine Disposal for ME Program development. The Safe Medicine Disposal for ME Program is Maine's drug mailback program providing older adults and caregivers with free postage-paid envelopes for mailing in their unused and unwanted medicine for proper disposal. This program is coordinated by the UMaine Center on Aging through a grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The intent of the program is to reduce the health and safety risks associated with the accumulation of drugs in the household and improper disposal of medicine. Our aim is to minimize the potential for overdoses and misuse of medicine by older adults, children, teens, and pets. Properly disposing of medicine also reduces the risk that these medicines will be stolen by others. Such disposal will also protect one of Maine's most precious resources: our environment. Our mailback envelopes are available to the public as of today, May 12th at the following locations: Caribou: Rite Aid Pharmacy, 112 Bennett Drive, 498-8735 Houlton: Rite Aid Pharmacy, 137 North Street, 532-6876 Indian Island: Penobscot Nation Health Center Pharmacy, 23 Wabanaki Way, 817-7435 Bangor: Miller Drug, 210 State St, 1-800-427-8369 Bangor: Penobscot Community Health Center Pharmacy, 1084 Union Street, 992-4100 Augusta: Rite Aid Pharmacy, 83 Hospital St., 623-1414 Augusta: Rite Aid Pharmacy, 2007 No. Belfast Ave., 622-2626 Waterville: Rite Aid Pharmacy, 211 Main Street, 877-9004 Portland: Rite Aid Pharmacy, 365 Allen Ave., 797-4351 Scarborough: Rite Aid Pharmacy, 600 U.S. Route 1, 885-1515 We do have a limited number of envelopes available at this time and we anticipate going statewide with the program in the fall of this year with more envelopes and more pharmacy sites. Envelopes are available at the pharmacies listed above for a limited time only. For those who are unable to obtain an envelope and have medicine to dispose of, we suggest contacting the Northern New England Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 to find out about local drug take back events. If you are planning a local drug return event, consider registering your event with the Poison Center as well. More information about the mailback program, including an extensive list of our partners and collaborators, can be obtained from our newly-launched website: www.SafeMedDisposal.com. If you have any questions about the program, please visit: http://www.safemeddisposal.com/faq.html or e-mail us at info at safemeddisposal.com Have a great day! Jennifer Crittenden, M.S.W. Research Associate UMaine Center on Aging Camden Hall 25 Texas Avenue Bangor, Maine 04401 Phone: 207-262-7923 Fax: 207-262-7921 Web: www.mainecenteronaging.org From jmorrissey at mcd.org Thu May 15 08:45:59 2008 From: jmorrissey at mcd.org (Joanna Morrissey) Date: Thu, 15 May 2008 08:45:59 -0400 Subject: [Prevention] Channel 6 Covers Seller/Server Trainings Message-ID: Hello Everyone: For those of you who have yet to meet Frank Lyons and/or have yet to hold your Seller/Server Training with Frank, here's a great chance to see him in action. This is also a great piece to use in promoting your upcoming trainings as well as to promote further trainings in your communities. The print story is great, as is the video. The link to the video is on the right, as well as a link to Maine's Office of Substance Abuse, B.C. Consultants, and 21 Reasons, our coalition in Portland. http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=87038 Jo Morrissey Assistant Project Director 21 Reasons and MESAP Medical Care Development, Inc. 107 Elm Street, Suite #300 Portland, ME 04101 207-773-7737 jmorrissey at mcd.org 21 Reasons is a coalition of individuals, organizations, and businesses with a common goal: to build a healthy community environment with policies, practices, and attitudes that support the drug-free development of all youth. Please join us! For more information, visit www.21reasons.org . From Jessica.Maurer at maine.gov Thu May 15 10:36:03 2008 From: Jessica.Maurer at maine.gov (Maurer, Jessica) Date: Thu, 15 May 2008 10:36:03 -0400 Subject: [Prevention] Alcohol News Message-ID: Beer and liquor brawl over nutritional labels Source: Politico By: Samuel Loewenberg May 13, 2008 04:57 PM EST What causes the worse hangover, beer or liquor? If you are the Treasury Department, the answer is both. But relief - much like greasy eggs, coffee and aspirin - may be on its way as the long-running regulatory battle over mandatory labeling for alcoholic beverages nears an end. The high-stakes lobbying campaign has pitted the liquor industry against beer makers, and each side has roped in a plethora of public health activists and members of Congress, as well as some of K Street's most powerful hired guns. For the two competing segments of the alcohol industry, the labeling decision could give one side or the other a significant marketing edge. The regulatory duel revolves around a seemingly narrow issue: whether the nutritional labels being prepared for alcoholic beverage containers should list alcohol by serving size - in effect pointing out that one serving of spirits has the same alcohol content as a beer. That initiative, promoted by the liquor industry, has the beer lobby livid. It argues that liquor is normally consumed in amounts much larger than the official serving size of 1.5 ounces. "The products are not the same in the way they are actually consumed," said Art DeCelle, chief counsel for the Beer Institute. The assumption that consumers will drink only a standard shot "is not real life," he said. The beer industry wants the alcohol information to be displayed only as a percentage by volume, the way it is currently listed on spirits. Listing alcohol content relative to serving size is misleading, he said. But the liquor industry says the brewers are just trying to protect their market share. The beer companies are concerned that if drinkers see that beer has the same alcoholic effect as hard liquor, they will lose customers, said liquor lobbyist Mark Gorman. The beer companies "have spent 50 years marketing beer as America's beverage of moderation. They think it gives them a public perception advantage over ... distilled alcohol," said Gorman, a senior vice president for the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. >From the liquor producers' perspective, "it helps normalize" spirits, he said. The beer industry is concerned that if the government decides in favor of the liquor companies, it may be the proverbial "camel's nose under the tent." Liquor interests have been lobbying for years to try to lower their tax rate, which currently can be as high as three times that of beer. If the Treasury Department agrees to the alcohol equivalency labeling,it could help the spirits makers' case that they should be taxed the same as beer. The fight has become "all about both political and market competition," said George Hacker, the director of the Alcohol Policies Project at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which has been one of the main forces behind the labeling initiative. For Hacker's group at CSPI, the real concern is that all the information should be clearly presented in one place. Regarding the proposals for separate alcohol equivalency information, "we don't have any idea how consumers will react to that," he said. "We do know that consumers will only look at a few pieces of information on a label." Meanwhile, officials in the Treasury Department's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau are being figuratively jostled by a throng of lawmakers, eager as bar patrons to put their orders in. The beer industry has garnered the support of at least 13 senators, including Sens. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), who wrote to the bureau's chief official, John Manfreda, in January, urging him to reject the alcohol equivalency requirement. Seventy congressmen from both parties sent an identical letter to Manfreda. The signatories included members from Missouri and Colorado, home to the Anheuser-Busch and Coors headquarters, respectively. Meanwhile, liquor giant Diageo North America has brought on heavy-duty K Street firms to argue its case. The firm has hired Quinn Gillespie & Associates, whose lobbyists include former Clinton White House counsel Jack Quinn and David Hoppe, who served as a senior aide in the Senate Republican leadership. The company also hired DLA Piper, whose 12 lobbyists registered to work the issue include former GOP House Majority Leader Dick Armey. The Connecticut-based Diageo, which sells Smirnoff, Johnny Walker and Jose Cuervo, among other brands, has been the most active liquor company pushing for the label change. Sens. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) have weighed in on behalf of the position favored by the liquor industry. The liquor lobby has also garnered potent allies in the public health community, including former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop and the Consumer Federation of America. "A lot of consumers assume that there is more alcohol in a shot of whiskey than there is in a 12-ounce beer," said Chris Waldrop, director of food policy at the federation. Waldrop played down concerns that alcohol equivalency labeling would cause consumers to drink more hard liquor. "I don't really see that happening, especially considering the kind of advertising that's done by the beer companies," he said. The push for nutrition labeling on alcoholic beverages goes back to the 1970s but was never brought to fruition until the past few years, in the wake of consumers' embrace of nutritional labeling on food and dietary supplements. One lobbying tactic appears to have backfired. Treasury's alcohol bureau was the subject of a grass-roots letter blitz from supporters of both sides, beginning in 2005, at the opening of the comments period, and continuing through January of this year. Officials became agitated after receiving more than 18,600 public comments, many of them form letters. On its website, the agency posted the comments, breaking them down into the 32 different versions sent. "This was by far among the most comments we've ever received on an issue. But we realized that a lot of them were a form-type letter that said the same thing over and over again," said alcohol bureau spokesman Art Resnick. The bureau is trying to balance competing interests based on economic factors and scientific data, he said, but "a form letter does not necessarily contain substantive information." United Kingdom: Underage customers face new scrutiny By Maija Palmer in London Source: FT Published: May 15 2008 03:23 | Last updated: May 15 2008 03:23 Children could be stopped from buying cigarettes and alcohol by facial recognition technology similar to that the police use to identify criminals. The system has been tested for several months in a Budgens supermarket in London. It is thought to be the first time the biometric technology has been used by a UK retailer to identify underage customers. Cameras installed near tills take pictures of any customers who are refused alcohol or cigarettes and saves them in encrypted form. If the same customers return to buy alcohol or tobacco, the system recognises them and alerts the cashier. Many other independent retailers and supermarket chains are interested in the system, according to Charlie Willetts, managing director of Charton, the company that supplies the technology. The company is hoping to create a nationwide database to enable stores, and possibly pubs and bars, to check customers' ages. Mr Willetts said the system still had a number of issues to overcome, including compliance with data protection laws. "There is a risk that by introducing this technology in supermarkets we could be moving one step closer to creating a surveillance society where even a shopping trip leads to our images and other personal information being captured and stored on a database," the Office of the Information Commissioner said. However, David McKintosh, chief executive of OmniPerception, which is supplying the biometrics behind the system, stressed that it would not store photos but only encrypted templates, making the technology safer and less personal. "We will be checking with local police forces, councils and the Information Commissioner to make sure this is acceptable," said Mr McKintosh. United Kingdom: Tesco ban on alcohol sales to parents Last Updated: 12:36AM BST 15/05/2008 Source: Daily Telegraph Tesco is refusing to sell alcohol to parents shopping with their children under rules designed to tackle underage drinking. The supermarket has told cashiers not to supply alcohol if they suspect an adult is buying the drink for an underage youth. Staff have been told to "err on the side of caution" when interpreting the policy, leading to cases of parents out shopping with their children being told to put alcohol back on the shelves. Tesco says it believes parents will support the policy and it would rather apologise where it has misjudged the situation than sell to underage drinkers. However parents who have been refused alcohol have described the rule as humiliating and daft. Debbie Bell, 39, a housewife from York, was told she could not buy a crate of lager at a Tesco Extra in the city with her stepson Michael Bruce, 18. Mr Bruce, a student, was unable to show the cashier any proof of his age and his mother was told to put the 24 cans of Fosters and a bottle of cider back on the shelf. She said: "You can't do that just because somebody has kids with them. "I was in there the day before with a 17-year-old lass and there were no problems. "Michael wasn't even carrying the beer, he was just standing next to me." Dominic Zenden, a television medium, was told he could not buy six bottles of Budweiser beer when he was accompanied by his 15-year-old daughter Devon. A cashier at the shop in Sprowston, Norwich, refused to believe Mr Zenden, who has his own series on Sky television, was not going to share the drink with his daughter. He said: "I was dumbfounded. There was absolutely no indication that my daughter would be drinking the alcohol - it was for me. "But the woman told me that they don't sell alcohol to people who have children with them." Mr Zenden, 45, who lives in Norwich, added: "They haven't got signs up to say that they won't sell to people who have their children with them. If they did it would save a lot of embarrassment at the till." The supermarket said it had bought in the policy because a crackdown on selling directly to underage teens had been so successful, youths were now forced to rely on friends, parents and relatives for alcohol. A Tesco spokesman said: "I can understand the frustrations of the customer but I think that any reasonable parent would understand the problem and support our policy." From odelle at acompanyofgirls.org Thu May 15 14:23:34 2008 From: odelle at acompanyofgirls.org (Odelle Bowman) Date: Thu, 15 May 2008 14:23:34 -0400 Subject: [Prevention] Undiebizaward Message-ID: <000201c8b6b9$d38b0ed0$810a2718@D2S30CB1> Hi, Just found out ACOG was nominated for an Indie Biz Award, part of the Portland Buy Local Campaign. We were nominated for a Neighborhood Award an dthe deadline is today to vote! There's lots of other great local businesses nominated for a lot of different awards, so vote today at: www.indiebizawards.com Spread the word and get folks to vote!! Odelle A Company of Girls From Jessica.Maurer at maine.gov Mon May 19 10:21:07 2008 From: Jessica.Maurer at maine.gov (Maurer, Jessica) Date: Mon, 19 May 2008 10:21:07 -0400 Subject: [Prevention] Alcohol News Message-ID: Canada: It's last call for cheap drinks at happy hour Stelmach proposes putting minimum price on booze Source: Metro May 15, 2008 02:08 Imposing a minimum price standard on drinks during happy hour could curb binge drinking and the problems that go with it, says Premier Ed Stelmach. During a news conference yesterday, Stelmach said a weekend assault on two police officers by a group of young people who were drinking at a bar on Jasper Avenue has highlighted the need for limits on nightclubs and bars. With low prices at the bars, Stelmach believes customers drink more, which leads to binging and acting badly. "(Binge drinking) is becoming a serious matter because when police officers are actually swarmed on the street, it is like the Old West and we've got to get control of it," said Stelmach. "This is not the kind of message we want to send to others in terms of safe communities in Edmonton." Solicitor General Fred Lindsay says he will be making an announcement on the minimum-price plan in the legislature soon and his government will be talking with nightclub owners about the new plan. Lindsay will look into shorter happy hours and limits on how many drinks can be on a bar table after last call. The move comes after the province already brought in a new training program earlier this year for bar and nightclub security staff to help them curb violence and increase safety. Kim Haakstad, an executive director with the Alliance of Beverage Licensees in British Columbia, says bars in that province are not allowed to offer happy hour, and can only serve patrons a certain amount of alcohol per drink. Bar patrons are allowed up to three shots of alcohol in one drink compared to Alberta where "quadruple shots are quite common," said Haakstad. "I am sure many businesses would love to offer happy hour, but they are just simply not allowed." Stelmach also said drugs are becoming a bigger dilemma for a booming province. People with "more money in their pockets" are turning to drugs, he added. Utah: Revamp of liquor laws gets guv's nod Huntsman backs a plan to do away with private club memberships By Dawn House The Salt Lake Tribune Article Last Updated: 05/17/2008 12:34:39 AM MDT Jon Huntsman Jr. boosted the hopes of imbibers frustrated with confusing liquor laws by proposing Friday that the state do away with private club memberships to boost tourism. The Utah Hospitality Association filed a petition Thursday to collect signatures for a statewide initiative for the 2010 ballot, that would do away with the private-club system in which people must pay fees to get a drink. But on Friday, Huntsman's spokeswoman Lisa Roskelley said the governor is hopeful ''this could be done by legislation rather than having to wait for a vote in 2010. The governor believes this is something that needs to happen. This would be of a help to our tourism industry.'' Huntsman hinted at Wednesday's closing luncheon of the Utah Tourism Conference that possible changes to the state's liquor laws were on his mind. "Alcohol is a no-win issue for governors," he remarked, "but we'll work on it." Earlier this year, the governor touted a potentially positive impact on the tourism industry when he proposed increasing the alcohol content in martinis from 1 ounce to 1.5 ounces - another issue that frustrated tourists who reportedly complained of weak drinks. The Legislature adopted the measure, which went into effect May 5. One of the greatest stumbling blocks to abolishing club fees, however, may be The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which typically supports strict liquor controls. Many credit the LDS Church for the successful legislation that will take flavored malt beverages off grocery store shelves, starting Oct. 1. LDS Church spokesman Scott Trotter declined to comment "at this time" on whether the private-club system should be repealed. "More and more people are fed up with these silly and archaic liquor laws," said lawyer Lisa McGarry, a hospitality association board member. "The timing to abolish private clubs has come." The association wants the state's 77 taverns - which now may serve only 3.2 beer - to be allowed to stock heavier beers, wines and distilled spirits, moving bars into the private-club category. And, membership fees for both the expanded taverns and clubs would be abolished. Under the proposal, taverns, bars and clubs would be similar to airport lounges, where alcoholic beverages may be sold with or without food and patrons may be served at a bar or table. Senate President John Valentine, who has opposed repealing the private-club system, said memberships have effectively screened out minors and discouraged patrons from becoming intoxicated because cards can be revoked. "Underage drinking and overconsumption are important issues," said Valentine. "I'm open if these public safety concerns can be addressed in some other way." Unless the Legislature tackles the issue, the hospitality association could have a difficult time getting the proposal on the ballot. Signatures must be collected from 10 percent of the number of voters in the 2008 gubernatorial election - and in 26 of Utah's 29 Senate districts. Valentine said he will ask for a recommendation from the Utah Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission before lawmakers convene next year. Commissioners recently turned down a Utah Hospitality Association request for a universal card that could be used at multiple private clubs. -------------------- United Kingdom: ?6m drinking campaign 'not enough' Source: Daily Telegraph By Kate Devlin, Medical Correspondent Last Updated: 7:41AM BST 19/05/2008 A new ?6 million government campaign to tackle problem drinking will have limited success as long as alcohol remains cheap and easily available, doctors have warned. Ministers will today launch a new series of advertisements designed to educate the public on how many alcoholic units are in each drink. It will be aimed at the over 25s, particularly middle class wine drinkers who drink at home in the evening. Official figures show that more than 500 people a day were admitted to hospitals in England after drinking too much last year. The campaign is being launched as the World Health Assembly meets in Geneva to discusses a possible global strategy to combat problem drinking. The Government recommends that women should consume no more than two or three units a day and men no more then three or four. The new campaign is designed to inform women that they can reach that limit with just one large glass of 12 per cent strength wine. Two pints of strong beer would push men over the limit. But doctors expressed concern that although the campaign could make many aware of how much they drank, that would not necessarily encourage them to cut down. Dr Nick Sheron, a liver specialist in Southampton General Hospital and one of the founders of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said: "This is a good initial first step but it is not enough. The evidence shows that you need to do a lot more than just inform people. "What has been proven to be effective is to hit things like affordability and availability or to personalise the intervention, to have a GP tell his patients that they need to cut back for the sake of their health." The Know Your Limits campaign will provide a helpline offering advice on alcohol intake and methods to reduce consumption. -------------------- India: 47 die after drinking poisonous liquor in India Source: (DPA) 18 May 2008 At least 47 people died and 15 were in a serious condition after drinking poisonous liquor in India's southern states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu on Sunday, a news agency reported. Eight died and 12 were seriously ill after consuming the alcohol in the Kolar district, 68 kilometres east of Karnataka's state capital Bangalore, the IANS news agency reported quoting police officials. In another incident in a Tamil Nadu village bordering Karnataka, eight people, including three women died, after drinking the liquor during a funeral ritual, the report said. Doctors said the condition of three villagers was serious. Police suspected that poisonous rectified spirit was sold as liquor. Angry residents blocked roads in the area and shouted slogans against the local administration for its failure to check the manufacture and supply of such liquor. Scores of people die in India every year after consuming hooch. Many of the deaths are reported from the eastern and southern parts of the country. There is a thriving illicit liquor business in India as poor people find the spurious alcohol much cheaper than legally brewed alcohol. From Jessica.Maurer at maine.gov Thu May 22 10:24:06 2008 From: Jessica.Maurer at maine.gov (Maurer, Jessica) Date: Thu, 22 May 2008 10:24:06 -0400 Subject: [Prevention] Alcohol News Message-ID: Molson Coors awaits SABMiller go-ahead Source: FT Published: May 21 2008 23:34 | Last updated: May 21 2008 23:34 Molson Coors, the North American brewer, expects to receive regulatory approval to merge its US operations with those of SABMiller within the next few weeks, paving the way for a stronger competitor to US market leader Anheuser-Busch. Leo Kiely, chief executive of Molson Coors, has been in London this week to discuss merger plans with SABMiller. The two brewers agreed last year to combine their US brewing operations in a new company, Miller-Coors. Mr Kiely said the US Department of Justice, which is reviewing the merger, had not so far made any special requests for information that could delay the deal. The two brewers are combining their American businesses to improve profitability. Anheuser-Busch has profit margins of nearly 17 per cent, nearly double those of Coors or Miller, and controls nearly half of the US beer market. Recent speculation that Anheuser-Busch may be bought by another larger brewer, such as Belgium's InBev, remain "just rumours", said Mr Kiely, adding that the St Louis-based brewer would continue to be a formidable competitor. "Anheuser-Busch is a big, strong company." Once its merger is approved, MillerCoors expects to build sales of upmarket niche brands such as Peroni Nastro Azzuro and Pilsner Urquell (both owned by SABMiller) in bars and restaurants by training a specialist sales force. "It's a targeted approach," said Mr Kiely. It has taken Molson Coors more than a decade to make its home-grown craft beer, Blue Moon, a success. It sells about 1m barrels every year in the US. But the brewer is now capitalising on rising demand for specialist beers. "The craft beer business has never been more vital," said Mr Kiely, adding that he planned to develop more craft beers. Molson Coors last year created a subsidiary, AC Golden, to develop new kinds of beer. MillerCoors also hopes to bring more of SABMiller's 150-odd beer brands to the US. "The portfolio of our future provider has some real promise in terms of imports," said Mr Kiely. Low-alcohol beers will also be another priority for MillerCoors. "Light beers continue to be the preference," said Mr Kiely, adding that MillerCoors would encourage people to buy Coors Light for its "refreshment" and Miller Lite for its "taste". US sales of the leading brewers' low-alcohol beers have been rising over the past 12 months, with supermarket sales up 1.4 per cent to the end of April, according to Beer Marketer's Insights, the industry newsletter. Both Anheuser-Busch and SABMiller have been losing share to Molson Coors, which increased sales of its low-alcohol brands by more than 7 per cent. Molson Coors plans to take the Blue Moon brand, currently only sold in North America, to the UK this year. Mr Kiely forecast that the British beer market, which is in decline, would revive as brewers became more innovative. "In the long run, I do believe the UK beer business can return to growth." Beer Drinking May Speed Pancreatic Cancer Onset (Excerpt) Other alcohol also boosted the risk, as did smoking, study found Posted May 21, 2008 Source: US News and World Report Heavy smoking and drinking, especially beer, may hasten the onset of pancreatic cancer, according to researchers who presented their data Tuesday at the Digestive Disease Week 2008 conference in San Diego. Beer appears to exert a stronger influence than hard liquor or wine in lowering the age of onset of pancreatic cancer, said researcher Dr. Michelle A. Anderson, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Michigan. Anderson and her colleagues evaluated patients from The Pancreatic Cancer Collaborative Registry, a multi-center, international patient registry, looking at whether the patients drank or smoked, and if so, how much and what type of liquor. They evaluated the smoking and drinking (or abstinence) patterns of 453 patients in all, about equal numbers of men and women. Patients who smoked did tend to develop pancreatic disease at a younger age and there were dose-related effects, Anderson said. Heavy smokers (such as those who have smoked more than a pack a day for 40 years, or more than two packs for 20 years) presented with pancreatic cancer an average of seven years before nonsmokers. The average age of onset of pancreatic cancer is between 70 to 80, experts noted. Heavy drinkers, defined as having more than three daily drinks, presented with pancreatic cancer 10 years younger than those who did not drink. Comparing beer, wine and hard liquor, the team found that beer lowered the age of developing pancreatic cancer most, Anderson said. When she compared beer drinkers to non-beer drinkers, the effect was statistically significant; however, when she considered other variables that may affect cancer onset, the effect disappeared. Cigarette smoking is already a well-known risk factor for pancreatic cancer. Heavy alcohol intake may induce chronic inflammatory changes that are also linked with cancer, Anderson said. The combination of chronic smoking plus drinking had no stronger effect on pancreatic risk than either habit alone, the researchers found. Link: \http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/05/21/beer-drin king-may-speed-pancreatic-cancer-onset.html Maine: Petition Drive Underway To Repeal Drink Tax Source: WCSH6 Last Updated: 5/21/2008 11:13:57 AM The fight over Maine's taxes has a new battleground. Petitions are now circulating to repeal new or increased taxes on beer, wine, and soft drinks. The taxes are supposed to provide money to operate the controversial Dirigo Health program. The petitions are for a so-called "Peoples Veto" which would force a statewide vote on the tax increase. It's being organized by a coalition of groups representing restaurants, beverage companies, convenience and grocery stores and others. The law they're fighting doubles the existing excise tax on beer and wine and creates a new tax on soda and other soft drinks. It would raise the cost of a typical bottle of soda by about six or seven cents. And while store and restaurant owners say that incremental cost may seem small, it's still more money out of people's pockets at a hard time. "It adds a few, five or ten cents to the cost. But five or ten cents adds up to $40 million for the industry when it's over. It's a lot. All these little add-ons add up after a while. Sometimes you pass it on to the customer, sometimes you eat it," said restaurant owner Dick McLaughlin. The petitions just began circulating Friday. By law, they have to submit more than 55,000 valid signatures by July 17 in order to stop the new taxes from taking effect. ----------- Maryland: No change in tax, law on 'alcopops' O'Malley supports bill without signing it By Laura Smitherman Source: Baltimore Sun May 22, 2008 Despite intense pressure from public health advocates and parents, Gov. Martin O'Malley announced yesterday his support for a bill that ensures that popular flavored malt beverages would continue to be widely distributed and subject to a lower tax rate than other alcoholic drinks. O'Malley said he would allow the bill to become law without his signature but signaled that during next year's General Assembly session, he would pursue legislation to change the way "alcopops" are regulated. The Democratic governor had pulled back from signing the bill during a formal ceremony last month, but last night he announced that he would not veto the bill. His last formal bill signing is scheduled for today. Alcopops, which include some wine coolers and drinks such as Mike's Hard Lemonade and Smirnoff Ice, have been taxed and distributed the same way as beer in the state for four decades. Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler issued an opinion this year declaring that the flavored beverages should be regulated like distilled spirits, which are subject to a higher tax rate and limited to distribution in liquor stores. "Allowing this bill to become law is a huge victory for the alcoholic beverage industry and an enormous loss for every parent of every teen in the state," said Del. William A. Bronrott, a Montgomery County Democrat. "This was an opportunity to rein in a product that has been proven to be particularly attractive to teens." The General Assembly approved legislation on the last day of this winter's session that essentially overturned Gansler's decision. The liquor industry had complained that Gansler's opinion would wreak havoc in Maryland's complex system for regulating alcohol by forcing stores to pull products from shelves and creating confusion as to which products would be affected. Groups including Mothers Against Drunk Driving had urged O'Malley to veto the bill, arguing that it would make it easier for teens to obtain alcopops. They contend that sweet, fruity additives mask the alcohol content - they are sometimes referred to as "cocktails with training wheels" - and that the drinks have become especially popular among girls for binge drinking. Gansler said the outreach efforts from opponents, particularly in recent weeks, helped persuade O'Malley to address the issue next year. He said he would work with the governor on legislation, though his preference would be to distribute alcopops through liquor stores and tax them at a rate akin to the one assessed on wine. That would put it between the rate for beer, taxed at 9 cents per gallon, and distilled spirits at $1.50 per gallon. "He clearly acceded to the wishes of the legislature," Gansler said. "But the ultimate goal is to keep this away from and inaccessible to children, and I think we're going to reach that goal." O'Malley said in a letter that he would seek to create a fourth category of alcoholic beverages for alcopops, though he did not say how it would be defined. He noted that allowing Gansler's opinion to remain the law would have amounted to a 16-fold increase in the tax rate for the flavored beverages and that the bill codifies a long-standing practice not only in Maryland but also at the federal level and in almost every state in the country. Although the legislature did hold a hearing on the bill, O'Malley said that such major regulatory and taxation decisions should be made "in the fullness of legislative consideration, not through the chance confluence of an opinion of the attorney general and the veto of a governor." O'Malley also pledged to develop a "much-needed, forward-looking agenda to attack the issue of underage drinking." He noted that he signed legislation this year increasing the maximum penalty for furnishing or allowing underage consumption of alcohol from $1,000 to $2,000 for the first offense and up to $5,000 for subsequent offenses. John M. Colmers, the state health secretary, requested the initial opinion from Gansler, saying that alcohol is the most widely abused substance among young people ages 12 to 20 and that treating alcopops as distilled spirits could have positive public health implications. The liquor industry denies that the drinks are marketed to teens and contends that their companies strive to curb underage drinking. They point out that flavored malt beverages account for 2 percent of the beer market in the United States, according to industry tracker Adams Beverage Group. "We look forward to working with the governor to do everything possible to curtail and eliminate underage drinking," said W. Minor Carter, a lobbyist who represents the Beer Wholesalers' Council of Maryland. Critics argue that the liquor industry holds inordinate sway in Annapolis, based in part on its large campaign contributions. O'Malley has collected more than $230,000 from liquor interests over the past decade, according to an analysis published by The Sun this year. ----------- Diageo Applauds Maryland Governor O'Malley for Strong Leadership on Alcohol Policy Issues Source: PR Newswire May 21st Legislation Will Increase Penalties for Adults Who Enable Kids to Drink and Maintain Flavored Beer's Rightful Status as Beer Diageo applauds Governor O'Malley for signing Senate Bill 166/House Bill 76, meaningful underage drinking legislation that increases the maximum criminal penalty for furnishing or allowing underage consumption of alcohol, and for allowing Senate Bill 745, which clarifies Maryland's long-standing practice of classifying flavored beer as beer for taxation and regulatory purposes, to go into effect. From Anne.Rogers at maine.gov Fri May 30 08:25:28 2008 From: Anne.Rogers at maine.gov (Rogers, Anne) Date: Fri, 30 May 2008 08:25:28 -0400 Subject: [Prevention] Substance Abuse Funding, News, & Events Message-ID: Dear Prevention Colleagues, Below is the substance abuse prevention funding and news. The source of this information is noted in each section. Please follow up with contact information found associated with each article or go to the sites listed below. If you wish to post information that you believe would be pertinent to your prevention colleagues please forward that information to me at Anne.Rogers at maine.gov for review and possible posting. Search the New and Improved Maine Prevention Calendar for upcoming trainings, conferences, and workshops (you can also submit statewide and regional events for posting): www.mainepreventioncalendar.org Weekly Grants from Do Something Funding Opportunity The youth-oriented charity Do Something plans to award weekly grants of $500 in conjunction with a pair of corporate partners to support community-based projects led by people ages 25 and younger. See the Do Something website for full details and application forms. http://www.dosomething.org/grant_list Partner or Foe? The Alcohol Industry, Youth Alcohol Problems, and Alcohol Policy Strategies "Children don't profit from the production, sale or distribution of alcohol, adults do. When we ask who profits from the sale of alcohol to children it is clear that the alcohol industry benefits when children drink, and only the alcohol industry," says Richard Yoast Ph.D., Director of the American Medical Association Office of Alcohol and other Drug Abuse, announcing the release of The Alcohol Industry: Partner or Foe? The newly released policy brief examines techniques used by the alcohol industry to undermine prevention efforts and recruit a new generation of drinkers. James Mosher, J.D. a leading expert in the field of alcohol policy and analysis, wrote the policy brief for the American Medical Association. The report is available for download in Acrobat PDF format (file size is 906k) at the URL below. (PDF file requires the free Adobe Acrobat Reader .) A limited number of print copies are also available; call 312-464-4618 for information. http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/388/partner_foe_brief.pdf 246K ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------- WHO to Launch Campaign Against Harmful Drinking May 27, 2008 Saying that the "harmful use of alcohol causes serious public-health problems," the World Health Organization (WHO) says it will devise an international plan to address issues like binge drinking and alcohol marketing, Reuters reported May 22. -------------------------------------------------------------- Indicator reporting programs are a valuable tool to illustrate local substance use problems and track the impact of efforts to address them. Community leaders use indicator reporting programs to identify their most important local substance use problems, focus community prevention and treatment strategies, and measure the results of new policies and programs. This website, a companion to a new Join Together publication, will help you build an effective indicator program for your community. We suggest you start here: How to Use This Site . http://indicatorshandbook.org/howtouse.html Taste for Quick Boost Tied to Taste for Risk May 27, 2008 Health researchers have identified a surprising new predictor for risky behavior among teenagers and young adults: the energy drink. Super-caffeinated energy drinks, with names like Red Bull, Monster, Full Throttle and Amp, have surged in popularity in the past decade. About a third of 12- to 24-year-olds say they regularly down energy drinks, which account for more than $3 billion in annual sales in the United States. The trend has been the source of growing concern among health researchers and school officials. Around the country, the drinks have been linked with reports of nausea, abnormal heart rhythms and emergency room visits. For the full article - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/27/health/27well.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=energ y+drinks&st=nyt&oref=slogin Oct 2 to be 'World No Alcohol Day'? 27 May 2008 Source: Times of India Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary could soon be a dry day globally. India has officially proposed at the ongoing World Health Assembly in Geneva that October 2 be declared 'World No Alcohol Day'. Record Number of Congressional Leaders Support Substance Abuse Prevention Programs May 29, 2008 The appropriations process is underway, and a record number of lawmakers have demonstrated their strong support to ensure adequate funding for key drug and alcohol prevention programs in fiscal year 2009. This comes after 93 representatives and 40 senators sent letters to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittees in support of $90 million for the DFC program. In addition, 91 representatives and 37 senators sent letters to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Subcommittees in support of funding the SDFSC program at the FY 2008 House passed level of $346.5 million. For the full story and to see who signed on go to http://cadca.org/CoalitionsOnline/article.asp?id=1878 Susan Collins, Olympia Snow, and Tom Allen signed on to the DFC letter. New Toolkit to Help Emergency Department Professionals Provide Alcohol Screening Everyday, more than 20,000 people enter emergency departments in the United States for alcohol related injuries and illness. This creates an ideal opportunity for emergency department professionals to screen patients for alcohol abuse, provide a brief intervention or refer them to treatment. A new toolkit developed by the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) Injury Prevention Institute/EN CARE can help emergency department professionals do just that. http://www.ena.org/ipinstitute/SBIRT/ToolKit/toolkit.asp From Anne.Rogers at maine.gov Fri May 30 10:18:36 2008 From: Anne.Rogers at maine.gov (Rogers, Anne) Date: Fri, 30 May 2008 10:18:36 -0400 Subject: [Prevention] FW: Coors - MySpace & Facebook Message-ID: Here's an article in yesterday's NYT about Coor's on Myspace and Face book: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/28/business/media/28adco.html?_r=1&scp=1& sq=coors+myspace&st=nyt&oref=slogin "For Coors Light, a Night Out That Begins on MySpace"